their
evil inclinations.

Departure from the Ladrones Islands and arrival at those of Luzon,
or, as they are called also, Filipinas; and the relation of some
peculiarities of those islands. Chapter XII.

_Island of Luzon, and city of Manila._ Navigating almost two hundred
leagues west of the Ladrones Islands, to the channel called Espiritu
Santo, one enters the archipelago, which consists of innumerable
islands, [36] almost all inhabited by natives, and many of them
conquered by the Spaniards, through either war or friendship. After
sailing for eighty leagues, one reaches the city of Manila, located
on the island of Luzon. Here the governor of all the said islands,
and his Majesty's officials, reside generally; and here is the bishop
and the cathedral church. This city lies in fourteen and one-fourth
degrees. About it lie many islands, which no one has yet succeeded
in numbering. They all extend northwest and southwest [sic] and
north and south, so that in one direction they reach to the strait
of Sincapura [Singapore], twenty-five leagues' distance from Malaca,
and at the other almost to the Malucos and other islands, where a
fabulous amount of cloves, pepper, and ginger is gathered, for there
are whole mountains of these spices. The first to discover these
islands were Spaniards, who went thither with the famous Magallanes,
but did not conquer them, for they were more experienced in navigation
than in conquest. Therefore after passing the strait (which to this
day bears his [Magallanes's] surname), they arrived at the island
of Zubu, where they baptized a number of the natives. Afterward
at a banquet, those same islanders killed Magallanes and forty of
his companions. On account of this Sebastian de Guetaria [Elcano],
a native of Vizcaya, in order to escape with his life, embarked in
one of the vessels remaining from the voyage--afterward known as the
"Vitoria"--and with it and a very few of the crew who aided him,
arrived, with God's help, at Sevilla. Thus they circumnavigated the
world, from east to west, an event which caused universal wonder,
and especially to the Emperor Carlos the Fifth, our sovereign. After
the latter had bestowed great favors upon Sebastian de Guetaria,
he ordered a new fleet to be prepared, to seek those islands anew,
and to explore that new world. As soon as this fleet was in readiness
to sail, which was very soon, a certain Villalobos was appointed
as general of the entire fleet,